google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, December 17, 2012 C.C. Burnikel

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Dec 17, 2012

Monday, December 17, 2012 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: J.D. - People with those initials.

44A. Law school grads, briefly, and an apt title for this puzzle : JD's (Juris Doctor)

16A. "Shakespeare in Love" Oscar winner : JUDI DENCH


24A. "Pirates of the Caribbean" series star : JOHNNY DEPP


34A. The Yankee Clipper : JOE DIMAGGIO


47A. "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" author : JOAN DIDION


56A. "East of Eden" co-star : JAMES DEAN


Argyle here. I don't feel this was aimed to be a Monday puzzle but here it is. Just Do It. (Four strong corners, which is only fitting for our Crossword Corner maven.)

Across:

1. Mop & __: cleaning brand : GLO


4. "Fiddler on the Roof" dairyman : TEVYE. I prefer him to Andre Rieu.

9. Hannibal crossed them : ALPS

13. Author Fleming : IAN

14. On __: counting calories : A DIET

15. Cathedral topper : SPIRE

18. Ann __, Michigan : ARBOR

19. Sporting site : ARENA

20. "Brian's Song" actor James : CAAN. IMDb. A real tear jerker. (The movie, that is.)

22. Johannesburg's land: Abbr. : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

23. Part of a bottle : NECK

27. Moose relative : ELK

28. Cousin of edu : .COM

29. Perfectly : TO A TEE

30. Venus, e.g. : PLANET

33. USPS pieces : LTRS. (United States Postal Service/LETTERS)

37. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP

39. Cooks over boiling water : STEAMS

40. Sea west of Greece : IONIAN. Map.

43. Drill insert : BIT to go along with 38D. Gift for a handyman : TOOL SET


50. Song for two : DUET. from the 80's Duets.

51. Final: Abbr. : ULT. (ultimate)

52. Nerve cell part : AXON

53. "It's Not About the Bike" author Armstrong : LANCE. Ironically, so true.

54. Pale : ASHEN

59. "Cool beans!" : "NEATO!"

60. Eye-fooling pictures : OP ART

61. First of a Latin threesome : AMO amas amat

62. Periodic table fig. : AT. NO. (atomic number)

63. Uses a swizzle stick : STIRS. Not for Tinbeni, just a gentle swirl will do.

64. Good times : UPS. A shout out to Splynter?

Down:

1. Demi Moore military movie : "GI JANE". IMDb.

2. Hardy's comedy partner : LAUREL

3. Next to bat : ON DECK

4. "I did it!" : "TADA!"

5. Suffix with stamp : EDE

6. Wine, on le menu : VIN

7. "That's gross!" : "YECCH!"

8. Revolutionary Allen : ETHAN. The Amtrak train, Ethan Allen Express, runs from New York City to Rutland, Vermont, busy with skiers soon.

9. Showery mo. : APR. (April)

10. Opera text : LIBRETTO. The libretto contains all the words and stage directions; helpful when I go to the opera, not!

11. Flourish : PROSPER

12. Colorful shawls : SERAPES. Fun word.

15. Japanese electronics giant : SANYO

17. Squid's squirt : INK

21. Formicarium insect : ANT. A formicarium is a fancy name for an ant farm. Ants are of the family Formicidae.

24. "The Grapes of Wrath" surname : JOAD


25. Old Dodge hatchbacks : OMNIs

26. Works by Salvador : DALÍs

28. Cavs, on scoreboards : CLE. (Cleveland Cavaliers)

30. Drop by : POP IN

31. CPR specialist : EMT

32. Trendy aerobics regimen : TAE BO. Zumba is the hot ticket around here.

34. Satirist Swift : JONATHAN

35. Narrow the gap : GAIN

36. Prime meridian hrs. : GMT. (Greenwich Mean Time)

37. Mexican border city : TIJUANA

41. Hersey's bell town : ADANO. English Book Trailer: "A Bell for Adano"


42. Say no to : NIX

44. U.S. capital nearest the Arctic Circle : JUNEAU. In Alaska, but you knew that, didn't you?

45. Take down the tents and move on : DECAMP. Then an étape and put them up again.

46. Pool workers : STENOS. From the secretarial pool.

48. Judo schools : DOJOs. From Japanese.

49. Not suited : INAPT

50. Youngster's "play catch" partner : DAD. Fresh cluing.

53. D-Day fleet : LST's. (Landing Ship, Tank)

55. Gen. Eisenhower's arena: Abbr. : ETO. (European Theater of Operations)

57. Month after avril : MAI. French

58. Go down the wrong path : ERR

Argyle


Note from C.C.:

This puzzle was inspired by the beautiful grandma of these three cutest kids. Thanks, JD.

Left to right: Grady, Truman & Cameron
Left to right: Cameron, Grady, Truman, Halloween 2012 

83 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Fun Monday puzzle. A little on the crunchy side thanks to JOAN DIDION, but all the other theme answers were well known to me.

Other than wanting CROSS instead of SPIRE at 15A, not much in the way of missteps today. Just smooth and enjoyable.

thehondohurricane said...

Good morning,

Finished w/o any hold ups. Nothing I feel compelled to comment on today. Friday's tragedy in Newtown still weighing heavily. It's such a horrific and unexplainable act.

Avid Reader said...

Author Joan Didion list both her husband and her daughter in the same year. To cope with her grief, she wrote a book entitled The Year of Magical Thinking.

Did anyone notice APR as an answer and AVRIL as a clue?

Middletown Bomber said...

Nice Monday puzzle CC easy but not a speed run by any means. I guess I have to much weighing on my mind after this past fridays tradgic events. My son's school will feature "armed" security guards at the front to provide a sense of security this puts a new meaning to the term gunfree school zone.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

This was an easy-peasy Monday offering. Congrats to C.C. on another solo effort. I'm guessing it was difficult to work so many J's into a puzzle. And who knew there were so many famous JD's. Of course, I was a JD in my ute -- juvenile delinquent.

My only misstep today was to confuse east and west and enter AEGEAN where IONIAN needed to be.

TTP said...

Thank you CC and thank you Argyle.

Argyle shows 5 types of bits. Can you identify them by name ? Give yourself 20 points for each one correctly named.

Dennis said...

First bit, second bit, third bit, fourth bit, fifth bit.

desper-otto said...

Not at all sure, but I'll guess:
1. Standard twist drill bit
2. Spade bit
3. Brad-point bit
4. Forstner bit
5. Masonry bit

Anonymous said...

Sleepwalk through the park.

Thanks.

kazie said...

Perfect Monday CW, C.C.!

All the names were known to me but DIMAGGIO and DIDION needed perps to give me the hint since I don't know much about either one. I also hesitated on how to spell YECCH until DENCH appeared.

Our Germans had an argument with us last year about moose. In German there's just one word for that and elk: Elch, so they couldn't get their heads around a totally different word in English for moose.

JD,
Cute pix of the kids!

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. Good intro, as usual, Argyle.

Nice pictures of JD's grandchildren.

Well TADA! A NEATO puzzle for a Monday. And what could be more APT than anchoring it with JOE DIMAGGIO. After getting this far, I just plunked down JD's in the remaining theme slots. Wanted Aegean before IONIAN; JONATHON saw to that. WWII represented by LST's and ETO. No searches were needed. Some history and geography, some baseball and sports, some art and hobbies; something for everyone. BZ to CC.

Have a good day.

HeartRx said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

What a pleasant way to start the week! Thanks for a fun puzzle, C.C. Like Barry, I put "cross" for the church topper at first. But as I was entering the perps, the downs were looking mighty suspicious with that answer in place. JOHNNY DEPP made me change "canon" to SANYO at 15D, and SPIRE finally appeared.

I also did not know JOAN DIDION, but perps filled her in. Our book club is reading the latest J.K. Rowling book "The Casual Vacancy." Anyone else read it? It is certainly no Harry Potter story!

Have a great day, everyone.

Montana said...

Wonderful Monday puzzle, CC, and great expo, Argyle.

I did not go right through it. Didn’t know Tevye or Joan Didion, didn’t think of planet, waited for Joe D, JDS, ede, vin, yecch, spelling of Tijuana even though I knew there was a J in there somewhere, and decamp. Perps to the rescue and a fairly quick finish, however.

I have LAT Corner bookmarked on my iPad. I was surprised by a new format this morning, although after reading the review and then the early posts, I like it. Realized that none of the information we usually see on the right side of the puzzle was there anymore. I look at that information, at times. Found a link to ‘View web version’ at the bottom of the page. Clicking that brought up my old friendly format.

Have a great day, everyone,
Montana

Mari said...

Welcome to another week, fellow solvers. Today was pretty easy for me (other than the obligatory JOAN DIDION).

STENO and NEATO feel dated. Does anybody's office still have a STENO pool? Or a secretarial pool for that matter? Ah, the good old days!

Loved seeing TOATEE.

D-Otto @ 7:00 am: Too funny about earning your "JD".

TTP @ 7:08 am: I have no clue. Not even a little BIT.

JD: Cute photos: I love the truck costume!

grams said...

Ans was Mai?

TTP said...


So far,

Dennis 0 %
Desper-otto 80 %
Mari, extra credit for humorous pun.

I'm thinking Manac and Splynter will ace it.

By the way, I meant to ask earlier inre "Cool Beans." Been hearing that a lot as of late. Was that a catchphrase in a movie, as in the example of, "I'll be back." ?

Yellowrocks said...

CC, More interesting and fun than the usual Monday puzzle. I enjoyed it.
-Knowing I needed JD brought Joan Didion to mind easily.
-Thanks for the info. Kazie. I thought that moose inhabited only North America.
-TOOLSET as a gift for a hanyman is iffy. My son's grandmother always bought him tools which he already had. She bought luggage for people who traveled a lot. Of course veteran travelers have good luggage. It’s like “taking coals to Newcastle.”
-After we DECAMP we always head home.
-JD Picture of your grandbabies is "cool beans."

Pinto said...

5. Auger Bit

Yellowrocks said...

-I ordered electronic accessories for Christmas for my d-i-l through Amazon from a seller who has a 94% satisfaction rate. They emailed me that my package was shipped on 12/4, but every day the tracking number yielded, “Not yet in our system.” I pressed the seller for my package’s whereabouts. Two days later, Saturday, the tracking number finally lets me know it just now entered the system In Guangshou, People’s Republic of China. I was lied to so that I wouldn’t cancel.

MJ said...

Fun puzzle, CC! Thank you.

Dennis @7:21am--Thanks for today's LOL!

Enjoy the day!

CrossEyedDave said...

CC on a Monday! I thought i was finally going to finish a CC puzzle, but i put recamp instead of decamp!

Theme, Jr's???

CC, i was puzzled again! (but that's what its all about , isn't it?)

Oh, & you forgot a "JD."

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a gift for a Monday morning. My pen breezed through this one. Thank yoi

Al Cyone said...

For a fun Monday puzzle that was filled as fast as I could type, TADA was a very appropriate answer for "I did it!".

Husker Gary said...

What a Jim Dandy puzzle to start the week. Thanks C.C. for the fun theme and strong corner stacks.

Musings
-The wonderful JUDI DENCH played the stoic “M” TO A TEE in Skyfall that was not written by IAN Fleming.
-Huddie and I also saw JOHNNY DEPP in Pirates of the Caribbean
-I’m on A DIET. It’s the see food diet – “When I see food, I eat it”
-As you drive through the small towns around here, the first indication that a town is near is a church SPIRE or a grain elevator
-The planet VENUS is often called the morning/evening star – “I wish I may, I wish I might…”
-I wonder if Splynter ever uses a brace and BIT
-80’s DUETS were a great link in your excellent write-up Argyle. I had forgotten about Babs and Barry!
-We just had the fact that Demi got a Razzie for GI JANE.
-Live long and flourish, no, make that PROSPER
-Ken Burns told the story of the JOADS and many others in this fabulous PBS documentary
-Jerry Seinfeld and my wife don’t care for the POP IN
-TIJUANA has 3 syllables and not 4. We have a small village north of here called Telbasta with the same issue (tell bas’ tuh vs. tell uh bas’ tuh) everyone says the latter. Ever heard of that town Joe?
-Growing up, we always said, “Let’s play catch” but in some movies I’ve heard the phrase, “Wanna have a catch?”
-Great pix JD!!

Argyle said...

Lip and spur drill bit is also called the brad point bit or dowelling bit. #5 is a masonary bit. I had to look up Forstner's.

Wikipedia

Lucina said...

Happy day, you all! What a pleasant surprise! C.C. on Monday and Argyle's excellent review.

Zumba is also hot around these parts.

I really sashayed through this as I was on C.C.'s wave length all the way. All the names are familiar including JOAN DIDION who has been interviewed by Charlie Rose several times.

Marti, I'll be interested in your review of J.K. Rowlings's book. That might be my first NOOK acquisition.

Thank you, C.C., for a fun start to the week. I took a dip in the IONIAN Sea a long time ago.

JD:
Your grandkids are so darned cute! The events of last week make them even more precious.

Have a beautiful Monday, everyone! Busy day today.

Anony Mouse said...

Thank you C.c. for a wonderful puzzle, really enjoyed it. I was not familiar with "Joad" and "Didion", but perps took care of it. I was worried about satirist Swift, since I don't watch TV, but he is old enough that I've heard of him.(lol)

Thank you Argyle for your always delightful commentary.

Last night, I was reading about Gemology, and found that though Jade has a very long history ( ~ 4,000 yrs.) in China, the name comes from the Spanish, from the jade in Central America, from looted Aztec`artifacts.

Jade was supposed to a 'cure' for urinary infections - hence 'piedra de ijada'(Sp.) = 'pierre de l'e'jade ' (Fr.) = jade (Eng.) .... Literally, 'stone (pain) in the ........ Groin'.

Even the name of the most common variety of Jade, found in China, Nephrite, comes from the Spanish word for kidney stones = lapis nephriticus (Latin) - as in Nephrologist, medical speciality in Kidney (dialysis). A fun fact for today, although TMI.

Have a good week, you all and best wishes.

JD said...

Good morning C.C., Argyle, et al,

Just Delightful! It wasn't a smooth run for me, as I didn't know Joan Didion, but was easily perped when I realized Tijuana, wasn't Tiajuana . Was scouring my brain for another town nearby. Ended up leaving an O hole etO/atnO.
Like Kazie, the spelling of yeech needed help.And, did many of you 1st fill in depart for decamp? My youngest daughter still says "Cool Beans."

Thanks C.C. for the shout out and posting my little guys.Hugs to all of you and your little guys too.

GarlicGal said...

The Christmas Countdown begins!

Good morning early risers. Breezed through this one. The California coven had a "little" headstart with the theme. JD shared with us last week at coffee that a "JD" puzzle was in the works. We came up with quite a few of our own JD's over our lattes, too!

Sorry I missed all the garlic press chatter yesterday. With fresh garlic we use the "smash and chop" method. But I also use the Christopher Ranch jarred, chopped garlic. Their products are top-notch! (And not just because they are headquartered in Gilroy.)

Carry on Folks.

desper-otto said...

Husker, talking about mispronounced city names. In Texas we have New Braunfels which almost everybody pronounces as New Brownsville.

Argyle, there is no second "a" in the masonry bit. Tommy Silva (This Old House) always drives me nuts when he pronounces that invisible "a".

TTP, which one did I get wrong?

carol said...

Hi all,
C.C. you stopped me in many places in this puzzle...I am no good with movies, operas, plays or musicals. That said, I was able to finish it.
The perps gave me the JD's I didn't know.

JD, those little boys are the cutest kids!!! I love all your pictures of them :)

26A (DALIS) was an odd answer..I could see by the first 2 letters that could be the correct answer but it just didn't seem right somehow.

Cool Beans?????? Never heard that before, doesn't make sense at all.

Dennis (7:21) LOL..snort, snort.

Pinto said...

Masonry bits have a carbide tip and deep flutes to help remove the chips and dust from the hole.

Auger bits have tapered screw tip that "pulls" the bit into the wood. The fluted shaft removes the wood chips from the hole.

#5 has a screw tip

Pinto said...

Masonary is a term for females who prefer the missionary position yet are stone-like!

Not well known nor well liked.

You will not find it in Alfred Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.

JJM said...

Nice puzzle for a Mon. The SW corner was actually a bit difficult.

Argyle said...

Pinto's been reading the Urban Dictionary again.

I had to incrase my zoom to 400 before I could see that was an auger. Good eyes there.

Sorry about the misspelling. "Darn you, This Old House."

Irish Miss said...

Good morning:

Very nice start to the week. Thanks, CC, for a mellow Monday offering and thanks, Argyle, for a fine expo. It's nice to do a puzzle that has both style and substance.

Seeing " serapes" made me think of Sheldon dressed in one while making them on a loom and his diatribe aimed at Leonard explaining the difference between serapes and ponchos.

Adorable grandkids, JD.

Have a good day.

Tinbeni said...

Thank you C.C. for a FUN Monday offering.
Learning moment: JOAN DIDION (who I'll forget by noon).

JD: Your grandkids look nice. I'll make sure my buddy (Santa) has them on the right list.

kazie said...

YR,
You're right, I think moose are only here, which is probably why the Germans didn't know how different they are from elk. but if you look up moose in a German dictionary, it only gives Elch.

I am also unfamiliar with "cool beans" but guessed it when NEOTO told me that JONATHON should be JONATHAN.

Ron Worden said...

Good morning to all. Thanks to C.C and Argyle. Nice puzzle no smudges or write overs.
Looking forward to the holidays. Our entire family will be here on Christmas Eve, 6 daughters their SO's and all the grand kids.
JD, nice pics of your grands.
Have a great day to all RJW.

Anonymous said...

Nr 5 looks more like an auger bit to me. Maybe I am just not seeing it well.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C., for a swell puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for the very good review.

Enjoyed this puzzle for the most part.

Nice to see our friend JD highlighted. Great photograph of the children.

Judi Dench came easily. We had her recently in a puzzle.

YECCH was not my favorite.

Liked to JOAD photo. That must have been from an old Grapes of Wrath movie. I really enjoyed the book. A good friend of mine from Oklahoma. does not like the book because it puts Oklahomans in a bad light.

Did not know JOAN DIDION.

Our book club is reading "The Art Forger" by B. A. Shapiro. I am half way through and it is pretty good so far.

Took me a while to figure out JUNEAU. I needed a few letters.

Off to my Monday. Lots to do.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, I loved today's puzzle. Since JD, Garlic Gal and I had coffee just last week, and I saw Judi Dench emerge, I knew that this was the JD puzzle that we were "let in on" by JD last Thursday. What a nice shout out to our JD.

I knew all the J's and D's, except Joan Didion and that emerged bit by bit with the perps. I thought some of the other fills were a little harder than most Monday's, mainly Axon, Decamp, and Mai. However, they were doable, again with the perps.

JD, hold your little ones extra tight. I know that you volunteer in your grandson's Kinder class (at the school where I taught for 12 years). Give all those little ones an extra hug for me.

Having been a First grade and K teacher for 30 plus years the horrific events in Connecticut are more than I can comprehend.

Have a lovely week, everyone. My holiday chores are calling.

JD said...

Thanks Tin and others who commented on "my" boys. It's not so much that they are cute (sometimes debatable), but it's how they bring so much joy, a different feeling than having our own kids with all the responsibilities.I know most of you feel the same way..love your pictures too.

Pinto, I really enjoyed your Alton Brown clip yesterday, and Marti, I will be looking for one of those "toy cars." We are lucky to have very fresh garlic in our area.At certain times of the year, the smell wafts up from Garlic Gal's town, usually on a foggy morning.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

D-Otto,
I think I'm a real chef, so I'm not going to buy garlic press then. I'll just do it the old way: "smash and chop" a la GarlicGal.

Spitzboov,
Surprised about "Cool beans!" comments today? I got that from you, since you say it from time to time.

Lemonade714 said...

7th solo flight C.C., congrats.

I knew Joan Didion from my kids high school English classes, but not the particular book clued.

Wedding in Key West was very nice. Long slow drive to get there. By accident, the Key West boat parade was going on during the reception which was outside on the pier next to Mallory Square.

While there this months Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine was delivered to my Kindle, and the first story was titled ATTAR ROSE.
Cannot escape puzzle coincidences.

JD wonderful pictures, but I know they are better in person. Charlotte has had her first flight, so I will see her tonight.

Chef C.C. sounds good.

Yay!

Yellowrocks said...

I had a delightful time at my birthday party which I provided for 48 of my friends and family on Saturday. Half of them were my closest square dance buddies, the best of the best. The other half were friends from church and my family. Unfortunately my 14 year old grandson had a high fever and sore throat, so he had to miss it. He will come for Christmas. As he is 14, my son and his wife were able to attend. She made beautiful floral centerpieces and they ordered me a lovely cake with butterflies on the icing.

My favorite square dance caller provided music, squares dances, mixers, intro to square dancing, and mood music. He is a super entertainer. Even the non dancers loved him.

My youngest sister came early and helped me fix hors d’oeuvers: shrimp, mini quiches, deviled eggs, etc. Then we had a catered Italian buffet. My sibs, in-laws, son and d-i-l made fast work of the clean up. It was an easy, relaxing party. I’m still “up” two days later. My special son enjoyed sitting with his brother and sister-in-law at a different table. He had a great time. It was good for him to be on his own.

PK said...

Great, very interesting puzzle, C.C.! Keep up the good work! Great expo, Argyle!

I knew the name of Didion, but not the book!

Two policemen were killed last night responding to a call of a suspicious vehicle in a grocery store parking lot. Evil is lurking everywhere anymore!

Guess who has to go grocery shopping today.

Misty said...

Great Monday puzzle, C.C.--many thanks! I pretty much breezed through it because I knew most of the literary and movie references. "The Grapes of Wrath" will always be one of my favorite novels. And I even got JOE DI MAGGIO! But as for many of you, "Cool beans" is new to me. Will have to practice that one. Those visuals, Argyle: cool beans!

We had a great Christmas party at our home last night, it was worth all the work and preps. But I too feel uncomfortable with taking pleasure in anything after the horrific Newtown tragedy. Seeing the photos of those totally adorable three grandchildren makes it all the more poignant.

Have a good week, everybody.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

PK,
I visited Xi'An once after I moved to the US. I'm afraid I'm spoiled by the comfort here. No one in our neighborhood had shower system. I had to go to public shower center. I felt very uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Bill G,
I don't know how to explain properly. But I found Mao's words highly logical and very believable. Here is a snow picture you asked last week.

Inquiring Minds said...

Will you be turnin 70 on Christmas Day, Yellow Rocks?

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon everyone.

Goodness it's late, and I haven't had lunch yet. Guess DH & I will go out.

Nice to have a C.C. solo again. Got most of it: didn't suss the theme which held me up some. Fun puzzle even though I missed a couple. As with others, JOAN DIDION got me.

JD, beautiful pics of your grands.

And belated happy birthday to Yellowrocks.

Cheers

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Thanks for the fun puzzle today, C.C. I liked the JD theme.

Glad you had such a happy birthday, Yellowrocks.

Watch carefully, ladies and gentlemen. AT NO time will my fingers leave my hand.

Wouldn't it be NEAT-O if a sports car manufacturer would make a ZZ-TOP model?

Do they teach TAIBO at a DOJO?

Best wishes to you all.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Quite a festival of names today. Could have been a nettle of Naticks, but there were no obscurities.

Crunchy Monday.

AT WT or AT NO - needed JONATHAN to tell me.

Had the hardest time figuring out VENUS is a planet.

What's the capital of Alaska? JUNEAU. If I knew, I wouldn't have asked.

Stumbled over GMT and GAIN.

JOADs are not JUDDs.

I'm pretty sure I read something by JOAN DIDION once, but don't remember much about it.

Concert tonight, then no pressure for a while.

Cute kids, JD.

COOL BEANS!
JzB

Spitzboov said...

Human/Dog interest story

--He traded a beer for the dog!
He got the better end of that deal!--

Cool beans.

Tinbeni said...

pas de chat:
Check out the "Human/Dog" interest story posted by Spitzboov @2:10

... AND that's why "Dogs are cooler than Cats" ...

'nuff said ...

Lucina said...

Spitzboov:
Cool beans! What a great video of Dog! I agree, the owner got the better end of the bargain.

HeartRx said...

Lucina, I finished J.K. Rowling's book (500+ pages), and thought it was extremely well-written. However, it is probably not for everyone. It contains violence of the worst kind against women and children, filthy language, drugs, sheer poverty, prejudice and a story line that is quite difficult to follow at first. I am curious to see what others in my book club think, since I'm the one who picked it!

Bill G. said...

Spitz, I enjoyed your DAWG video.

CC, thanks for the explanation and the photo. You and the snow look happy together.

TTP said...

Desper-Otto. Didn't mean to be non-responsive. Long nonstop day at work, and glad it's over.

Yes, as Pinto pointed out, it was the 5th bit. It's an auger rather than a masonry bit.

Was thinking that some would get tripped up on #1, standard twist drill bit, and # 3, the brad point bit. You nailed it.

Great WIKI reference on the bits and nits of bits Argyle. I was not aware of the PCB bits.

Next query. In woodworking projects, how should one decide whether to use coarse or fine thread screws ? Just kidding.

Yellowrocks, Happy Birthday !

TTP said...

Great Dog story, Spitzboov. Loved it. What did he say ? Something about easier to get along with and less expensive than a girl friend ? Too funny !

Marge said...

Hi all,

Thanks C.C.-a fun puzzle. The top half went well, the bottom was harder but I got most of them.

Had cross first also but spire worked better?

When I think of JD I think of 'JD Robb' better known as Nora Roberts. The series is different than most of her novels as it is set in the future.

Have a good evening!
Marge

Yellowrocks said...

Kazie, you sent me to researching European moose. I agree the German word is elch. According to Wiki there is indeed a European type of moose. Here are some pictures of them..
Link pictures
Link text

I visited Jonathan Swift's tomb in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. He wrote Guliver's Travels.

Inquiring Minds,I am perpetually 39,just like Jack Benny

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Late again. I'll go with WBS. Wanted to cogratulate CC on this new addition to her solo repertoire.

Cheers All!

Pinto said...

Just got home from work.

C.C. - Your comments add so much to this blog. You have a unique perspective to so many subjects. Your recent comments are much appreciated. I hope you continue to add to the diversity of this forum. Thank you.

Pinto said...

Also thought that today's puzzle contained several shout outs to our blogging staff:

UPS - Splynter
OMNIS - Argyle
NECK - mb (massage)
VIN - HeartRx
JDs -Lemon
DAD - JzB (o.k. i'm reaching!)

also

LSTs - Spitz

Dudley said...

Hey Pinto, I think you have a good point there! I thought of Spitz with the LSTs, but glossed over the rest. If those were deliberate shout-outs, then the puzzle is even cleverer.

CC?

Manac said...

Evening All,
This was a pleasant way to start a Monday. An offering from CC with just enough resistance for two cups of joe to finish.
Since the drill bits have been identified I'll just add this. the first three, standard twist, spade and brad point also known as pilot point are used by carpenters. The forstner bit is the plumbers choice because its perfect for a right angle drill and goes quickly thru a stud, and besides they are pricey and plumbers are the only ones who can afford them. The auger bit is the electricians preferred bit. I've seen them use some as long as three feet. Just my two cents

Irish Miss said...

HeartRx @ 4:08 - Based on the reviews on Amazon.com of Ms. Rowling's newest book, I think your book club meeting is going to be interesting, to say the least.

5 Stars 506
4 Stars 415
3 Stars 335
2 Stars 397
1 Star 613

I'd say there is a substantial difference of opinion. -:)

chefwen said...

My older brother has been saying "cool beans" since he was a teenager, kept hoping he would grow out of it, but he's still saying it at 64 so I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

CC - If you change your mind about the garlic press I think the best one out there is the SUSI garlic press made by Zyliss. You don't need to peel the cloves and it comes with a little plastic thingy to help clean it.

Great puzzle BTW I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Manac said...

Just what happens to be on the SyFy channel now? Pirates of the Caribbean!
Driving through this slop today up here made me appreciate getting new sneakers for the truck last month rather than waiting for inspection time all the more. My friend took me to a hole in the wall place that looked liked a scene from "Deliverance". I got a quote for brand new 16" light truck tires for $130 each mounted and balanced. SOLD! I was expecting around $800 and up for a set of four. All legit.
Wife's vehicle is next.

Anonymous said...

I like how food has caused such reaction! Anthony Bourdain once said something like "those who choose to use jarred garlic must be forced to never eat fresh garlic again!" and also calls garlic presses "abominations" and advises "don't put it through a press. I don't know what that junk is that squeezes out of the end of those things, but it ain't garlic."

Check out a chef's blog. Blog

PK said...

C.C., interesting to know about your trip "home". I'm glad you came to a more comfortable life. And us!

You certainly weren't alone in finding Mao believable. His charisma took him to the top.

The shower thing made me think of my niece who was raised in a very posh section of Kansas City and went to private schools. She now lives in India without running water in her house except from a long unreliable hose. She came to my house once and exhausted our old hot water heater taking a shower. (My husband was not pleased.) It blows my mind that she now chooses to live so deprived when she wouldn't have to.

PK said...

YR: Wish we could all have come to your party and helped you celebrate! Happy birthday whenever it is, or, if we missed the day, may you have many more good years!

I've lead such a deprived life, I guess. I've never had a clove of garlic in my house or hand. Nor did my mother. I can hear the gasps of shock now when I tell you I sprinkle on a little garlic powder maybe once a year. Will you still let me on the blog?

Anonymous said...

PK, I bet you have had a dish that made you say,'Wow!, that is goood!'. That dish prolly had fresh ingredients, whether it be garlic, basil, oregeno or so many others.

Buy fresh, buy local.

downtonabbey said...

Evening everyone,

Finished this puzzle early, enjoyed your write up today Argyle. C.C., I really liked the cluing you used for many of the entries today.

I wish everyone a peaceful evening.

JD said...

Yellowrocks, HBTY! I envy your ease at preparing a party for many friends and family.Sounded fun.

Spitzboov, loved your dog story.Here's a cute linkfor dog lovers

C.C., another cutie pie snapshot.I agree, we all love hearing your comments when you have time.

Irish Miss said...

Silly question, but can anyone tell me how I can stop crying?

kazie said...

YR,
That's interesting, I really was unaware that there were any real moose there. Thanks for your links!

downtonabbey said...

IM:
I don't know. It is too sad. The stress of this time is like 9-11 all over again. (((((HUGS)))))

Anonymous said...

Irish Miss:

First, turn off the news. The stories they are telling should not be told. Why do we want to know what their last minutes were like? Listen to music, bake some cookies, visit with friends. We need to resume our lives. I'm not saying to forget about it, but let's keep on keeping on.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Swell puzzle, CC! Great write-up, Argyle!

Have been in the dumps anticipating operation to remove a melanoma on my right arm tomorrow.

Had trouble with the Sunday puzzle. Then more trouble with Merl's rather hilarious offering. Theme clues had no relation to the fill! You should try it!

Cheers!

Blue Iris said...

Praying for our New England bloggers. Little Noah that was buried today was exactly 20 years younger than my twins. His twin sister was safe in another class. I always had my twins in separate classroom, too. Twins have such a special bond.

Irish Miss, et al.... I had to turn off the TV. When it comes to mind I pray and then read my book or something else to occupy my mind. Hugs from me, too.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dudley,
The fill in Pinto's neat list are pure accidents. Very seldom do I put any entry in the grid on purpose. With 5 theme entries and a demanding 6 J's, all I wanted is smooth fill. I have regulars in mind when cluing, but not in the filling process.

Chefwen & Avg Joe,
After reading all the comments and links, I drew this conclusion: You should not use garlic presses, just like you should never put bras in a washing machine.

PK,
Yellowrocks' birthday is Dec 25. If you don't like the smell of garlic, try to swallow one glove whole, like pills. It's good for you.